Data Processing for Hiring Equipment
First Claim
1. A method of performing data processing within a server computer to facilitate the hiring of equipment items to customers, comprising the steps of:
- establishing an intelligent calendar environment in which an entity can have a status allocated thereto over a specified period of time;
defining each equipment item as an equipment entity within said intelligent calendar environment;
defining each instance of a customer as a customer entity within said intelligent calendar environment;
monitoring the availability of each equipment item by the application of a tagging device to each said equipment item; and
responding to an order from a customer for the hire of an item of equipment over a hire period by allocating a shared status within the intelligent calendar environment between a customer entity and an equipment entity.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A server receives orders from customers and conveys orders to vendors that have equipment items for hire. Equipment items include radio frequency identification tags to monitor availability of equipment items. Each item of equipment is an equipment entity. Each customer order is a customer entity. The server establishes an intelligent calendar. Each entity has a status allocated over a specified period of time. The server responds to an order from a customer by allocating a shared status between a customer and equipment availability and issues an order to a vendor. The server establishes an intelligent calendar in which customer orders and equipment items have statuses allocated over specified time periods. Availability of equipment items is known from the tags. Responding to an order for the hire of an item of equipment over a hire period allocates a shared status within the intelligent calendar between a customer and an equipment item.
11 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of performing data processing within a server computer to facilitate the hiring of equipment items to customers, comprising the steps of:
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establishing an intelligent calendar environment in which an entity can have a status allocated thereto over a specified period of time; defining each equipment item as an equipment entity within said intelligent calendar environment; defining each instance of a customer as a customer entity within said intelligent calendar environment; monitoring the availability of each equipment item by the application of a tagging device to each said equipment item; and responding to an order from a customer for the hire of an item of equipment over a hire period by allocating a shared status within the intelligent calendar environment between a customer entity and an equipment entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16)
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14. A method of ensuring that equipment is available for face-to-face meetings between a supplier and a customer, comprising the steps of:
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establishing an intelligent calendar environment in which said supplier has a status allocated over a specified period of time of being with a particular client for a particular purpose, said purpose requiring one or more physical items; defining each instance of a physical item as an item entity within said intelligent calendar environment; applying an RFID tag to each physical item; maintaining a list of physical items required for each said particular purposes; and detecting the presence of said items on the person of the supplier before the supplier leaves for said face-to-face meeting.
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17. Apparatus for processing data, comprising a server computer configured to receive orders from customers and to convey said orders to vendors, wherein:
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each of said vendors has a plurality of equipment items for hire; each of said equipment items includes a radio frequency identification device (RFID) tag so as to monitor the availability of said equipment items; said server computer establishes an intelligent calendar environment in which an entity has a status allocated thereto over a specified period of time; each item of equipment is defined as an equipment entity within said intelligent calendar environment; each instance of a customer is defined as a customer entity within said intelligent calendar environment; said server computer responds to an order from a customer for the hire of an item of equipment over a hire period by allocating a shared status within the intelligent calendar environment between a customer entity and an equipment entity; and said server computer issues an order message to a vendor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification